Lens moving apparatus

ABSTRACT

A lens moving apparatus includes a housing for supporting a first magnet, a bobbin, which includes a first coil provided on an outer surface thereof and which moves in a first direction, a support member, which is disposed over one side surface of the housing, and which supports the bobbin and the housing such that the bobbin and the housing are movable in second and/or third directions, which are perpendicular to the first direction, a second coil, which is disposed over the housing, and which is spaced apart from the support member by a predetermined distance and which generates an electromagnetic force to move the support member in the second and/or third directions, and a printed circuit board disposed over the second coil.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.16/227,009, filed Dec. 20, 2018; which is a continuation of U.S.application Ser. No. 14/878,328, filed Oct. 8, 2015, now U.S. Pat. No.10,197,813, issued Feb. 5, 2019; which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2014-0135562, filed on Oct. 8,2014; all of which are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments relate to a lens moving apparatus, and more particularly, toa lens moving apparatus having an improved optical image stabilizingeffect.

BACKGROUND

Recently, information technology products such as cellular phones, smartphones, tablet PCs and notebook PCs, in which ultracompact digitalcameras are incorporated, are being actively developed.

A camera module mounted in a small-sized electronic product, such as asmart phone, may be frequently subjected to shocks during use. Inaddition, the camera module may minutely shake due to the trembling ofthe user's hand while taking a photograph. Therefore, there is a highnecessity for a technology capable of incorporating an optical imagestabilizer into the camera module.

In order to further improve such an optical image stabilizer, there is anecessity for structural improvement of a lens moving apparatus by theadjustment of focal length in the optical axis or the provision of anoptical image stabilizing function.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Embodiments provide a lens moving apparatus having an improved opticalimage stabilizing effect.

In one embodiment, a lens moving apparatus includes a housing forsupporting a first magnet, a bobbin, which includes a first coilprovided on the outer surface thereof and which moves in a firstdirection, a support member, which is disposed over one side surface ofthe housing, and which supports the bobbin and the housing such that thebobbin and the housing are movable in second and/or third directions,which are perpendicular to the first direction, a second coil, which isdisposed over the housing, and which is spaced apart from the supportmember by a predetermined distance and which generates anelectromagnetic force to move the support member in the second and/orthird directions, and a printed circuit board disposed over the secondcoil.

In another embodiment, a lens moving apparatus includes a housing forsupporting a first magnet, a support member, which is disposed on oneside surface of the housing, and which supports the housing such thatthe housing is movable in second and/or third directions, which areperpendicular to a first direction, a second coil, which is disposedover the housing and which generates an electromagnetic force to movethe support member in the second and/or third directions, a printedcircuit board disposed over the second coil, an upper elastic memberdisposed between the second coil and the housing, and a lower elasticmember disposed under the housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Arrangements and embodiments may be described in detail with referenceto the following drawings, in which like reference numerals refer tolike elements and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a lens moving apparatusaccording to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the lens moving apparatusaccording to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a housing according to theembodiment;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view showing the housing according to theembodiment;

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an upper elastic member 150 according tothe embodiment;

FIG. 6A is a plan view showing a lower elastic member according to theembodiment;

FIG. 6B is a perspective view showing a lower elastic member accordingto the embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the support members installed onthe lens moving apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 8A is a front view showing the support member according to theembodiment;

FIG. 8B is a front view showing a support member according to anotherembodiment;

FIG. 8C is a front view showing the support member according to thefirst embodiment, which is mounted on the housing;

FIG. 8D is a front view showing the support member according to theanother embodiment, which is mounted on the housing;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the printed circuit board accordingto the first embodiment, which is mounted on the lens moving apparatus;

FIGS. 10A to 10C are views illustrating the operation of the lens movingapparatus in the case where the second coil is disposed under thehousing; and

FIGS. 11A and 11B are views illustrating the operation of the lensmoving apparatus in the case where the second coil is disposed over thehousing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to theattached drawings. In the drawings, the same or similar elements aredenoted by the same reference numerals even when they are depicted indifferent drawings. In the following description, a detailed descriptionof known functions and configurations incorporated herein will beomitted when it may make the subject matter of the disclosure ratherunclear. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that some features inthe drawings are exaggerated, reduced, or simplified for ease indescription, and drawings and elements thereof are not shown always atthe actual rate.

For reference, in the respective drawings, a rectangular coordinatesystem (x, y, z) may be used. In the drawings, the x-axis and the y-axisindicate a plane perpendicular to the optical axis, and for convenience,the optical axis (z-axis) direction may be referred to as a firstdirection, the x-axis direction may be referred to as a seconddirection, and the y-axis direction may be referred to as a thirddirection.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a lens moving apparatusaccording to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective viewshowing the lens moving apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 isa perspective view showing a housing 140 according to the embodiment.FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view showing the housing 14 according tothe embodiment. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an upper elastic member150 according to the embodiment. FIG. 6A is a plan view showing a lowerelastic member 160 according to the embodiment. FIG. 6B is a perspectiveview showing a lower elastic member according to the embodiment.

A handshake correction apparatus, which is applied to compact cameramodules of mobile devices such as smart phones or tablet PCs, refers toan apparatus configured to inhibit the contour of an image captured uponstill image shooting from not being clearly formed due to vibrationcaused by the shaking of the user's hand. In addition, an autofocusingapparatus is configured to automatically focus the subject image on thesurface of an image sensor. The handshake correction apparatus and theautofocusing apparatus may be configured in various manners. In thisembodiment, the handshake correction and/or autofocusing operations maybe performed in such a manner as to move an optical module, composed ofa plurality of lenses, in a first direction or in a plane perpendicularto the first direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lens moving apparatus according to theembodiment may include a movable unit 100. The movable unit 100 mayfulfill the functions of autofocusing and handshake correction of alens.

As shown in FIG. 2, the movable unit 100 may include a bobbin 110, afirst coil 120, a first magnet 130, a housing 140, an upper elasticmember 150, a lower elastic member 160 and a second coil 260.

The bobbin 110 may be provided on the outer surface thereof with thefirst coil 120 disposed in the first magnet 130, and thus the bobbin 110may be installed in a space inside the housing 140 so as to bereciprocated in a first direction by the electromagnetic interactionbetween the first magnet 130 and the first coil 120.

The bobbin 110 may be elastically supported by upper and lower elasticmembers 150 and 160 such that the autofocusing function is fulfilled bythe movement of the bobbin 110 in the first direction.

Although not shown in the drawing, the bobbin 110 may include a lensbarrel (not shown) including at least one lens installed therein. Thelens barrel may be installed in the bobbin 110 in various manners.

For example, the lens barrel may be coupled to the bobbin 110 in such amanner that a female threaded portion is formed on the inner surface ofthe bobbin 110 and a male threaded portion corresponding to the femalethreaded portion is formed on the outer surface of the lens barrel toengage therewith. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, andthe lens barrel may be directly installed in the bobbin 110 by waysother than the threaded engagement by formation of the threaded portionon the inner surface of the bobbin 110. Alternatively, at least one lensmay also be integrally formed with the bobbin 110, without the lensbarrel.

The lens coupled to the lens barrel may be composed of a single lens, ormay be composed of two or more lenses constituting an optical system.

An autofocusing function may be controlled by the direction of electriccurrent, and may be fulfilled by moving the bobbin 110 in the firstdirection.

For example, the bobbin 110 may move upward from its initial positionupon the application of forward current whereas the bobbin 110 may movedownward from its initial position upon the application of reversecurrent. In addition, the moving distance of the bobbin 110 from theinitial position in one direction may be increased or decreased bycontrolling the amount of current flowing in the correspondingdirection.

The bobbin 110 may be provided at upper and lower surfaces thereof withan upper support protrusion 113 (see FIG. 7) and a lower supportprotrusion (not shown). The upper support protrusion 113 may beconfigured to have a cylindrical shape or a polygonal column shape suchthat the inner frame 151 of the upper elastic member 150 is coupled toor released from the bobbin 110.

According to this embodiment, the inner frame 151 may have a firstthrough hole 151 a formed at a position corresponding to the uppersupport protrusion 113.

The upper support protrusion 113 may be inserted in the first throughhole 151 a by means of thermal fusion or an adhesive material such asepoxy. The upper support protrusion 113 may include a plurality of uppersupport protrusions. The distance between the respective upper supportprotrusions 113 may be suitably determined within the range within whichinterference with peripheral components can be avoided.

Specifically, the upper support protrusions 113 may be symmetricallyarranged at a constant interval around the center of the bobbin 110, ormay be arranged at irregular intervals so as to be symmetrical on thebasis of a specific virtual line passing through the center of thebobbin 110.

The lower support protrusion may be configured to have a cylindricalshape or a polygonal column shape, similar to the upper supportprotrusion 113, such that the inner frame 161 of the lower elasticmember 160 is coupled to or released from the bobbin 110.

According to the embodiment, the inner frame 161 may have a thirdthrough hole 161 a formed at a position corresponding to the lowersupport protrusion. The lower support protrusion may be inserted in thethird through hole 161 a and may be secured thereto by means of thermalfusion or an adhesive material such as epoxy.

The distance between the respective lower support protrusions may besuitably determined within the range within which interference withperipheral components can be avoided. In other words, the lower supportprotrusions may be symmetrically arranged at a constant interval aroundthe center of the bobbin 110.

The housing 140 may be configured into an approximate rectangular columnshape for supporting the first magnet 130. According to this embodiment,the housing 140 may be configured into an octagonal column shape, asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The housing 140 may include a first surface 141and a second surface 142. The first surface 141 may be intended to allowthe first magnet 130 to be mounted thereon, and the second surface 142may be intended to allow a support member 220 to be mounted thereon.

The first surface 141 may be formed at a corner region. According tothis embodiment, the first surface 141 may be configured to have asurface area equal to or larger than the surface area corresponding tothe first magnet 130. The first magnet 130 may be mounted at a firstmagnet mount portion 141 a, which is formed on the inner surface of thefirst surface 141.

The first magnet mount portion 141 a may be configured to have a sizecorresponding to the first magnet 130 and to face the first magnet 130at three surfaces, that is, at both lateral side surfaces and the uppersurface thereof.

Although the first magnet 130 may be attached to the first magnet mountportion 141 a by means of an adhesive, the disclosure is not limitedthereto, and an adhesive member such as a piece of double-sided tape maybe used. Alternatively, in place of the recessed portion as shown inFIG. 4, the first magnet mount portion 141 a may be configured as amounting hole, in which the first magnet 130 is partially inserted orexposed.

The housing 140 may be provided on the upper surface thereof with aplurality of third stoppers 143 protruding upward. The third stoppers143 may restrict the upward movement of the housing 140.

Furthermore, the third stoppers 143 also serve to guide the installationposition of the upper elastic member 150. To this end, the upper elasticmember 150 may have guide recesses 155, which are formed at positionscorresponding to the third stoppers 143 and have a shape correspondingto that of the third stoppers 143, as shown in FIG. 5.

Although the first surface 141 may be formed to be parallel to thelateral surface of a cover member 300, this disclosure is not limitedthereto. In addition, the first surface 141 may be configured to have alarger area than the second surface 142.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second surface 142 may be provided withan escaping recess 142 a having a predetermined depth. According to theembodiment, the escaping recess 142 a may have an open lower surface.However, the disclosure is not limited thereto. The escaping recess 142a may have an open upper surface, or both the lower and upper surfacesthereof may be open.

With the provision of the escaping recess 142 a, spatial interferencebetween connecting members 153 and 163 and the bobbin 110 is avoided,and thus elastic deformation of the connecting members 153 and 163 maybe more easily caused when the bobbin 110 moves in the first directionwith respect to the housing 140. Furthermore, the lower portion of theescaping recess 142 a may serve to inhibit a coupling portion 224 of thelower part of the support member 220 from interfering with the housing140. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, an upper portion of the escapingrecess 142 a may be provided with a stepped portion 142 b to support aportion of the upper part of the support member 220.

Although the escaping recess 142 a may be positioned on the lateralsurface of the housing 140, as in the embodiment, it may alternativelybe positioned in a corner of the housing 140, depending on the shapeand/or position of the support member 220.

The housing 140 may be provided on the upper surface thereof with aplurality of upper frame support protrusions 144, to which the outerframe 152 of the upper elastic member 150 is coupled. The upper framesupport protrusions 144 may be more numerous than the upper supportprotrusions 113 because the outer frame 152 is longer than the innerframe 151.

The outer frame 152 may have second through holes 152 a which are formedat positions corresponding to the upper frame support protrusions 144,and may have a shape corresponding to that of the upper supportprotrusions 144. The upper frame support protrusions 144 may be securedin the second through holes 152 a by means of an adhesive or thermalfusion. As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 140 may be provided on the lowersurface thereof with a plurality of lower frame support protrusions 145,to which the outer frame 162 of the lower elastic member 160 is coupled.The lower frame support protrusions 145 may be more numerous than thelower support protrusions because the outer frame 162 of the lowerelastic member 160 is longer than the inner frame 161.

The outer frame 162 may have fourth through holes 162 a which are formedat positions corresponding to the lower frame support protrusions 145and have a shape corresponding to that of the lower frame supportprotrusions 145. The lower frame support protrusions 145 may be securedin the fourth through holes 162 a by means of an adhesive or thermalfusion.

The housing 140 may further be provided on the lower surface thereofwith fourth stoppers 147. The fourth stoppers 147 may serve to restrictthe distance that the housing 140 can move downward. Therefore, thefourth stoppers 147 may inhibit the bottom surface of the housing 140from colliding with a base 210.

The fourth stoppers 147 may be maintained in the state of being spaced apredetermined distance apart from the base 210 during an initial stageor during normal operation. By virtue of this construction, the housing140 may be spaced apart not only from the base 210 disposed thereunderbut also from the cover member 300 disposed thereover, and, as such, thehousing 140 may be maintained at a constant level in the first directionwithout interference from upper and lower obstacles. Accordingly, thehousing 140 may perform a shifting action in the second direction and/orthe third direction, perpendicular to the first direction.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 6A and 6B, the upper elastic member 150 and thelower elastic member 160 may flexibly support the upward and/or downwardmovement of the bobbin 110 in the first direction. The upper elasticmember 150 and the lower elastic member 160 may be constituted by a leafspring.

The upper elastic member 150, which is disposed over the bobbin 110, isconfigured such that the inner frame 151 is coupled to the bobbin 110and the outer frame 152 is coupled to the housing 140. The lower elasticmember, which is disposed under the bobbin 110, is configured such thatthe inner frame 161 is coupled to the bobbin 110 and the outer frame 162is coupled to the housing 140.

The upper elastic member 150 and the lower elastic member 160 s mayinclude the inner frames 151 and 161, coupled to the bobbin 110, theouter frames 152 and 162, coupled to the housing 140, and the connectingmembers 153 and 163, respectively connecting the inner frames 151 and161 and the outer frames 152 and 162.

The connecting members 153 and 163 may be bent at least once to form apredetermined pattern. By virtue of positional change and finedeformation of the connecting members 153 and 163, the upward and/ordownward movement of the bobbin 110 in the first direction may beflexibly (or elastically) supported.

According to the embodiment, the upper elastic member 150 has theplurality of second through holes 152 a formed in the outer frame 152,and the plurality of first through holes 151 a formed in the inner frame151, as shown in FIG. 5.

The second through holes 152 a may be fitted over the upper framesupport protrusions 144 provided on the upper surface of the housing140, and the first through holes 151 a or recesses may be fitted overthe upper support protrusions 113 provided on the upper surface of thebobbin 110. In other words, the outer frame 152 may be fixedly coupledto the housing 140 using the second holes 152 a, and the inner frame 151may be fixedly coupled to the bobbin 110 using the first through holes151 a or recesses.

The connecting member 153 may connect the inner frame 151 to the outerframe 152 such that the inner frame 151 is elastically deformable withrespect to the outer frame 152 in the first direction within apredetermined range.

At least one of the inner frame 151 and the outer frame 152 of the upperelastic member 150 may be provided with at least one terminal member,which is conductively connected to at least one of the first coil 120 ofthe bobbin 110 and the printed circuit board 250.

As shown in FIG. 5, the upper elastic member 150 may include a firstupper elastic member 150 a and a second upper elastic member 150 b,which are separated from each other. Thanks to the dual partitioningstructure, current having different polarities or different powers maybe applied to the first upper elastic member 150 a and the second upperelastic member 150 b of the upper elastic member 150.

Specifically, the inner frame 151 and the outer frame 152 are coupled tothe bobbin 110 and the housing 140, respectively, and then solderportions are provided at positions corresponding to opposite ends of thefirst coil 120 disposed at the bobbin 110. Subsequently, conductiveconnections such as solder are provided at the solder portions, wherebycurrent having different polarities or different powers may be appliedto the first upper elastic member 150 a and the second upper elasticmember 150 b. In addition, the first upper elastic member 150 a isconductively connected to one of opposite ends of the first coil 120,and the second upper elastic member 150 b is conductively connected tothe other of the opposite ends of the first coil 120, thus enablingexternal current to be applied thereto.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the lower elastic member 160 mayelastically connect the lower portion of the housing 140 to the lowerportion of the bobbin 110. Specifically, the lower elastic member 160may connect the lower portion of the housing 140 to the lower portion ofthe bobbin 110 such that the bobbin 110 can elastically reciprocate inthe first direction with respect to the housing 140.

To this end, the lower elastic member 160 may include a plurality offourth through holes or recesses 162 a formed in the outer frame 162,and may additionally include a plurality of third through holes orrecesses 161 a.

The fourth through holes or recesses 162 a may be engaged with the lowerframe support protrusions 145 formed in the lower surface of the housing140, and the third through holes or recesses 161 a may be engaged withthe lower support protrusions provided on the lower surface of thebobbin 110. In other words, the outer frames 162 may be coupled to thehousing 140 by means of the fourth through holes or recesses 162 a, andthe inner frames 161 may be coupled to the bobbin 110 by means of thethird through holes or recesses 161 a.

The connecting members 163 connect the inner frames 161 to the outerframes 162 such that the inner frames 161 are elastically deformedwithin a predetermined range in the first direction with respect to theouter frames 162.

The lower elastic member 160 may be made of a conductive material. Thelower elastic member 160 conductively connects the first coil 120 (i.e.both ends of the first coil 120) to the external power source. At thispoint, the first coil 120 may be configured such that one of the twoends of the first coil 120 is positioned under the bobbin 110 and theother of the two ends of the first coil 120 is positioned under thebobbin 110 by winding the coil an even number of times around the bobbin110.

Also, in the case where the first coil 120 is of a block type ratherthan the above-mentioned winding type, the two ends of the first coil120 are preferably positioned under the bobbin 110.

Thanks to the positioning of the two ends of the first coil 120 underthe bobbin 110, the two ends of the first coil 120 may be conductivelyconnected or soldered to the lower elastic members 120.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the upper elastic member 160 may include afirst lower elastic member 160 a and a second lower elastic member 160b, which are conductively or spatially isolated from each other in thelateral direction.

Thanks to the dual-partitioning structure, the lower elastic member 160may receive current having different polarities or different powersthrough the first and second lower elastic members 160 a and 160 b.

Specifically, after the inner frame 161 and the outer frame 162 arecoupled to the bobbin 110 and the housing 140, respectively, solderingportions are provided at locations on the inner frame 161 correspondingto the both ends of the first coil 120 mounted on the bobbin 110.Subsequently, the soldering portions are provided with conductiveconnections such as solder, whereby current different polarities ordifferent powers may be applied to the lower elastic member 160.

Furthermore, the first lower elastic member is conductively connected toone of both ends of the first coil 120 and the second lower elasticmember is conductively connected to the other of both ends of the firstcoil 120, thus allowing external current to be applied thereto.

The first lower elastic member 160 a and the second lower elastic member160 b, which are conductively isolated from each other, include secondterminal portions 166 and 167, which are conductively connected to anexternal power source such that the external power is supplied to thetwo lines of the first coil 120.

The two second terminal portions 166 and 167 may be bent downward at thesame side of the housing 140 such that the second terminal members 166and 167 extend downward together with a terminal member 151 of theprinted circuit board 250.

As shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the second terminal member 165 includingthe second terminal portions 166 and 167 may extend outward from oneside of the outer frame 162, and may then be bent downward. Each of thetwo terminal portions 166 and 167 may have a rectangular plate shape.

According to this embodiment, the two second terminal portions 166 and167 may be provided on the peripheral edge of one side of the outerframe 162. Therefore, the printed circuit board 250 may be provided withtwo cutouts 252 so as to inhibit the second terminal portions 166 and167 from interfering with the printed circuit board 250. Thanks to thecutouts 252, the first terminal members 251 of the printed circuit board200 and the second terminal member 165 of the lower elastic member 160may be mounted in the lens moving apparatus in the state of beingconductively isolated from each other.

Each of the two second terminal portions 166 and 167 may include bendingslits 166 a and 167 a formed in at least one of both lateral sides ofthe bent portion thereof. Thanks to the provision of the bending slits166 a and 117 a, after the lower elastic member 160 is coupled to ordisposed at the lower surfaces of the bobbin 110 and the housing 140,the second terminal portions 166 and 167 may be easily bent with respectto the outer frame 162, thus making it easy to manufacture the lensmoving apparatus.

Alternatively, after the second terminal 165 is first bent, the lowerelastic member 160 may be coupled to or disposed at the lower surfacesof the bobbin 110 and the housing 140.

One of the two ends of the first coil 120 may be conductively connectedor soldered to a portion of the inner frame 161 of the first lowerelastic member 160 a, and the other of the two ends of the first coil120 may be conductively connected or soldered to a portion of the innerframe 161 of the second lower elastic member 160 b.

In another embodiment, the two terminal portions 166 and 167 may beprovided at adjacent locations on one side of the outer frame 162.Accordingly, the printed circuit board 250 may be provided with a singlecutout 252 so as to inhibit the two second terminal portions 166 and 167from interfering with the printed circuit board 250.

As described in the first embodiment, in order to inhibit the two secondterminal portions 166 and 167 from interfering with the printed circuitboard 250, the two cutouts 252 may be respectively provided at twolocations corresponding to the two second terminal portions 166 and 167.

The second coil 260 is disposed above the housing 140 such that it isspaced apart from the support member 220 by a predetermined distance,and serves to provide an electromagnetic force so as to move the supportmember 220 in the second and/or third directions. The second coil 260may be disposed between the upper elastic member 150 and the printedcircuit board 250.

The second coil 260 may be constituted by a base plate having a patterncoil, and may be layered on the printed circuit board 250 and coupledthereto. Alternatively, the second coil 260 may be configured to have adoughnut shape by winding a wire, and may be conductively connected tothe printed circuit board 250. The second coil 260 generateselectromagnetic force by using current received from the printed circuitboard 250, and may move the support member 220 in the second and/orthird directions to implement the handshake correction of the lensmoving apparatus.

The printed circuit board 250 may be disposed over the second coil 260,and may be secured or coupled to the cover member 300. The printedcircuit board 250 may be provided with the first terminal members 251,which is bent. As shown in FIG. 2, the printed circuit board 250according to this embodiment may include the two first terminal members251. Each of the first terminal members 251 may include a plurality ofterminals so as to supply current received from the outside to the firstcoil 120 and the second coil 260. Unlike the construction shown in FIG.2, only one first terminal member 251 may be provided at the printedcircuit board 250, depending on the manner or structure wherebyhandshake correction and/or autofocusing operations are controlled.

The number of the terminals provided at each of the first terminalmembers 251 may increase or decrease depending on the kinds of thecomponents to be controlled. The printed circuit board 250 may includeonly one first terminal member 251, which is bent.

As described above, each of the first terminal members 251 may beprovided with the cutouts 252 so as to inhibit the two second terminalportions 166 and 167 from interfering with the printed circuit board250.

According to this embodiment, the connecting points between the lensmoving apparatus and the external power source may be intensivelyarranged on one side of the lens moving apparatus, and thus the periodof time required for the process of connecting the lens moving apparatusto the external power source may be considerably reduced. Therefore, therate of production of the lens moving apparatus and electronic devicesmounted on the lens moving apparatus may be improved.

The base 210 is disposed under the bobbin 110. As shown in FIG. 2, thebase 210 may be configured to have an approximately rectangular shape,and may be provided on a flat surface thereof with the support member220 held thereto. The base 210 may be provided with stepped portions 211(see FIG. 7) to which adhesive is applied when the cover member 300 isadhesively attached thereto. The bottom surface of the stepped portion211 may contact an end of the cover member 300.

The base 210 may have a support recess, which may be formed in thesurface that faces the first terminal member 251 of the printed circuitboard 250 and may have a size corresponding to that of the firstterminal member 251. The support recess may be recessed from the outersurface of the base 210 to a predetermined depth such that the portionof the first terminal member 251 that protrudes from the base 210 iseliminated or controlled to a desired amount.

The stepped portions 211 may guide the cover member 300, which ismounted on the base 210. The cover member 300 may be mounted on the base210 such that an end of the cover member 300 engages with the base 210in a surface contact manner. The stepped portions 211 and the end of thecover member 300 may be adhesively attached to each other or sealed bymeans of, for example, an adhesive.

The base 210 may be provided at corners of the upper surface thereofwith the support member mounting recess 214, in which the support member220 is inserted. The support member mounting recess 214 may be providedwith adhesive so as to securely hold the support member 220.

The end of the support member 220 may be inserted or disposed in thesupport member mounting recess 214, and may then be secured thereto bymeans of an adhesive or the like. The support member mounting recess 214may include one or more support member mounting recesses formed in theflat surface at which the support member 220 is installed. The supportmember mounting recess 214 may have an approximately rectangular shape.

As shown in FIG. 2, according to the embodiment, the support membermounting recesses 214 may be provided in the base 210 in such a mannerthat two support member mounting recesses 214 are provided in each flatsurface. The number of support member mounting recesses 214 may beincreased or decreased in accordance with the shape of the supportmember 220, and three or more support member mounting recesses 214 maybe provided in each flat surface.

The cover member 300 may be configured to have an approximate box shapecapable of accommodating the movable unit 100, the printed circuit board250 and the base 210. As shown in FIG. 1 etc., the cover member 300 mayhave escaping portions or recesses formed at positions corresponding tothe stepped portions 211 of the base 210, and, as such, adhesive and thelike may be injected through the escaping portions or recesses.

At this point, the adhesive is set to have a low viscosity such that theadhesive injected through the escaping portions or recesses canpenetrate the contact areas between the stepped portions 211 and the endof the cover member 300. The adhesive applied to the escaping portionsor recesses fills the gap between the mating surfaces of the covermember 300 and the base 210 through the escaping portions or recesses,thus enabling the cover member 300 to be sealingly coupled to the base210.

Meanwhile, a camera module may be constructed in such a manner as todispose an image sensor under the base 210 and to assemble the bobbin110 with a lens barrel. Alternatively, an additional image sensor holdermay be provided under the base 210. Furthermore, the base 210 may extenddownward, and a camera module board including an image sensor mountedthereon may be directly coupled to the bottom surface of the base 210.The cameral module may be applied to mobile devices such as cellularphones.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the support members 220 installedon the lens moving apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 8A is afront view showing the support member 220 according to the embodiment.FIG. 8B is a front view showing a support member 220 according toanother embodiment. FIG. 8C is a front view showing the support member220 according to the first embodiment, which is mounted on the housing140. FIG. 8D is a front view showing the support member 220 according tothe another embodiment, which is mounted on the housing 140.

The support member 220 is disposed at one side surface of the housing140. The support member 220 is coupled at an upper portion thereof tothe housing 110 and is coupled at a lower portion thereof to the base210. The support member 220 may support the bobbin 110 and the housing140 such that the bobbin 110 and the housing 140 can be displaced in thesecond and third directions, which are perpendicular to the firstdirection. The support member 220 may be conductively connected to thefirst coil 120.

As shown in FIG. 7, the support members 220 may be separately disposedover the second surfaces 142 of the housing 140 and may be support thehousing 140 in the state of being spaced apart from the base 210 by apredetermined distance. One end of the support member 220 may beinserted or disposed in the support member mounting recess 214, and maythen be coupled thereto using an adhesive material such as epoxy. Theother end of the support member 220 may be secured or coupled to holdingportions 146 formed on the upper end of the side surface of the housing140.

Since the support members 220 according to the embodiment are disposedover the second surfaces 142 of the housing 140, all four supportmembers 220 may be symmetrically disposed. However, the disclosure isnot limited thereto, and a total of eight support members 220 may beprovided, two on each flat surface. The support member 220 may beconductively connected to the upper elastic member 150 or the flatsurface of the upper elastic member 150.

Specifically, the support member 220 may include a first couplingportion 221, a second coupling portion 224, a first elastic deformationportion 222, a second elastic deformation portion 223 and a connectingportion 225.

The first coupling portion 221 is the portion of the support member 220that is coupled to the upper end of the second surface 142 of thehousing 140. The first coupling portion 221 may include through holes atlocations corresponding to the holding portions 146 protruding from thesecond surface 142 of the housing 140 such that the coupling portion 221is coupled to the upper end of the housing 140 by fitting the holdingportions 146 into the through holes.

Since the support member 220 is constructed separately from the upperelastic member 150, the support member 220 and the upper elastic member150 may be conductively connected to each other by means of conductiveadhesive, solder, welding or the like. Accordingly, the upper elasticmember 150 may apply current to the first coil 120 through the supportmember 220, which is conductively connected thereto.

The second coupling portion 224 may be the portion that is coupled tothe base 210, and may be provided at the end of the support member 220.Although the second coupling portion 224 may be configured as a platehaving a greater width than that of the first and second elasticdeformation portions 222 and 223, the second coupling portion 224 mayhave a width equal to or smaller than the width of the first and secondelastic deformation portions 222 and 223 without limitation.

According to the embodiment, the second coupling portion 224 may bedivided into two elements, and may be inserted or disposed in thesupport member mounting recess 214, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. Thesecond coupling portion 224 may be fixedly coupled to the support membermounting recess 214 by means of an adhesive material such as epoxy.

However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and the support membermounting recess 214 may be configured to correspond to the secondcoupling portion 224 and may be fitted in the second coupling portion224. The second coupling portion 224 may include a single secondcoupling portion or two or more second coupling portions. The supportmember mounting recess 214 may be formed at the base 210 in a numbercorresponding to the number of second coupling portions 224.

The elastic deformation portions 222 and 223 may be bent at least onceto form a predetermined pattern. According to the embodiment, theelastic deformation portions may include first and/or second elasticdeformation portions 222, 223. The first elastic deformation portion 222extends from the first coupling portion 221 and may be connected to theconnecting portion 225. The second elastic deformation portions 223 mayextend from the second coupling portion 224, and may be connected to theconnecting portion 225.

The elastic deformation portions 222 and 223 may be configured with theconnecting portion 225 disposed therebetween, and may be configured tohave a symmetric shape. When the first elastic deformation portion 222is configured as two or more bent portions in a zigzag manner, as shownin FIGS. 8A and 8B, the second elastic deformation portion 223 may alsobe correspondingly configured. However, the disclosure is not limitedthereto, and the first elastic deformation portion 222 may be providedalone, or the second elastic deformation portion 223 may be configuredso as to have some other structure.

The above configuration is merely an example, and the embodiment may beconfigured to have various patterns, such as a zigzag pattern. In thiscase, only one elastic deformation portion may be provided, withoutdivision into the first and second elastic deformation portions 222 and223, and the elastic deformation portion may be configured to have asuspension wire shape, rather than the above pattern.

According to the embodiment, straight portions of the first and secondelastic deformation portions 222 and 223 may be approximately parallelto a plane that is perpendicular to the first direction.

When the housing 140 moves in the second and/or third directions, whichare perpendicular to the first direction, the elastic deformationportions 222 and 223 may be elastically and finely deformed in themoving direction of the housing 140 or in the longitudinal direction ofthe support member 220.

As a result, since the housing 140 may move in the second and thirddirections with almost no displacement in the first direction, theaccuracy of handshake correction may be improved. This utilizes theproperty of the first and second elastic deformation portions 222 and223, which are capable of extending in the longitudinal direction. Theterm “longitudinal direction” may refer to the direction of connectionbetween first and second coupling portions 221 and 224.

The connecting portion 225 may include a pair of connecting portions,which connect the first elastic deformation portion 222 to the secondelastic deformation portion 223 and are configured to have a symmetricalshape. Although the connecting portion 225 may be disposed between thefirst and second elastic deformation portions 222 and 223 as describedabove, the disclosure is not limited thereto. The connecting portion 225may also be connected to one elastic deformation portion.

Although one support member 220 is provided with a pair of first andsecond elastic deformation portions 222 and 223 in the embodiment, thefirst and second coupling portions 221 and 224 may be integrallyconstructed, and the pair of first and second elastic deformationportions 222 and 223 may be concurrently coupled to the housing 140 andthe base 210.

Alternatively, the support member 220 may be constituted by an elasticwire, which is coupled at one end thereof to the printed circuit board250 and is coupled at the other end thereof to the base 210. In thiscase, the elastic wire may be positioned at the corner of the housing140.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the printed circuit board 250according to the first embodiment, which is mounted on the lens movingapparatus. According to this embodiment, the printed circuit board 250may be disposed over the housing 140, and the second coil 260 may bedisposed between the housing 140 and the printed circuit board 250.

As described above, the first terminal member 251 of the printed circuitboard 250, which is bent, may include the cutouts 252 so as to inhibitthe second terminal members 165, formed at the lower elastic member,from interfering with the printed circuit board 250.

When current is applied to the printed circuit board 250 through thefirst terminal member 251, the electromagnetic force generated by thesecond coil 260 may be directed in the second and/or third directions inaccordance with Fleming's left-hand rule. Consequently, the supportmember 220 may be moved in the second and/or third directions by theelectromagnetic force, thus implementing the handshake correctionoperation of the lens moving apparatus.

FIGS. 10A to 10C are views illustrating the operation of the lens movingapparatus in the case where the second coil 260 is disposed under thehousing 140.

As described above, since the support member 220 is fitted in thesupport member mounting recess 214 in the base 210, the support member220 is greatly restricted to movement in the second and/or thirddirections, and becomes able to move relatively freely in the secondand/or third directions as it moves upward, thus enabling theimplementation of handshake correction.

Accordingly, in order for the support member 220 to implement accuratehandshake correction, the holding portions 146 of the housing 140, whichare secured or coupled to the upper end of the support member 220, musthave a relatively great displacement range in the second and/or thirddirections, and the support member 220 must have an increasingly reduceddisplacement range in the second and/or third directions as it movesdownward.

When the second coil 260 is disposed under the housing 140, theintensity of the electromagnetic force generated by the second coil 260is attenuated as the distance X, which is measured from the second coil260 in the upward direction, increases, as illustrated in FIG. 10B.Accordingly, when the electromagnetic force is generated by the secondcoil 260, the displacement range in the second and/or third directionsat the lower position of the support member 220, on which a relativelyhigh electromagnetic force is exerted, is greater than the displacementrange in the second and/or third directions at the upper position of thesupport member 220, on which a relatively low electromagnetic force isexerted.

As a result, when the support member 220 is displaced in the secondand/or third directions for handshake correction due to theelectromagnetic force generated by the second coil 260, the housing 140may be displaced, and thus tilted in the direction of the dashed arrowof FIG. 10C.

FIGS. 11A and 11B are views illustrating the operation of the lensmoving apparatus in the case where the second coil 260 is disposed overthe housing 140.

When the second coil 260 is disposed over the housing 140, the intensityof the electromagnetic force generated by the second coil 260 isattenuated as the distance X, which is measured from the second coil 260in the downward direction, increases, as illustrated in FIG. 11B.

Accordingly, when the second coil 260 is disposed over the housing 140,the distance in the first direction between the second coil 260, whichgenerates the electromagnetic force, and the holding portion 146decreases, and a higher electromagnetic force is applied to the holdingportion 146 from the second coil 260, compared to the case where thesecond coil 260 is disposed under the housing 140.

Consequently, when electromagnetic force is generated by the second coil260, the displacement range in the second and/or third directions of theholding portion 146, which is positioned at the upper portion of thesupport member 220 and to which a higher electromagnetic force isapplied, is larger than that of the lower portion of the support member220, to which a lower electromagnetic force is applied.

According to this embodiment, since the second coil 260 is disposed overthe housing 140, the displacement range in the second and/or thirddirections of the lower portion of the support member 220, which issecured to the base 210 and is thus greatly restricted in displacementin the second and/or third directions, decreases, and the displacementrange in the second and/or third directions of the holding portion 146,which is relatively freely displacebale, increases. Therefore, theoccurrence of tilting of the housing 140 is remarkably reduced, wherebythe support member 220 is able to implement accurate handshakecorrection.

The lens moving apparatus according to the above embodiments may beapplied to products in various fields, for example, camera modules. Sucha camera module may be applied, for example, to mobile devices such ascellular phones.

The camera module according to the embodiment may include a lens barrelcoupled to the bobbin 110, an image sensor (not shown), a PCB (notshown) and an optical system.

The lens barrel is as described above, and the PCB is the component onwhich the image sensor is mounted, and may constitute the bottom surfaceof the camera module.

The optical system may include at least one lens for transmitting animage to the image sensor. The optical system may be provided with anactuator module capable of fulfilling functions of autofocusing andhandshake correction. The actuator module functioning to fulfill thefunction of autofocusing may be variously constructed, and a voice coilunit motor is primarily used in the actuator module. The lens movingapparatus according to the embodiments may serve as an actuator modulefulfilling both functions of autofocusing and handshake correction.

The camera module may further include an infrared ray screening filter(not shown). The infrared ray screening filter functions to block theincidence of light in the infrared range on the image sensor. In thebase 210, illustrated in FIG. 1, the infrared ray screening filter maybe installed at a position corresponding to the image sensor, and may becoupled to a holder member (not shown). The base 210 may support thelower portion of the holder member.

The base 210 may be provided with an additional terminal member forconductive connection to the PCB, and the terminal may be integrallyformed using a surface electrode. The base 210 may serve as a sensorholder for protecting the image sensor. In this case, although aprojecting portion may be formed downward along the lateral side surfaceof the base 210, it is not an essential component. Although not shown inthe drawings, an additional sensor holder may be disposed under the base210 to serve as the projecting portion.

Although embodiments have been described with reference to a number ofillustrative examples thereof, it should be understood that numerousother modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled inthe art that will fall within the spirit and scope of the principles ofthis disclosure. More particularly, various variations and modificationsare possible in the component parts and/or arrangements of the subjectcombination arrangement within the scope of the disclosure, the drawingsand the appended claims. In addition to variations and modifications inthe component parts and/or arrangements, alternative uses will also beapparent to those skilled in the art.

1. A lens moving apparatus, comprising: a housing supporting a firstmagnet; a bobbin including a first coil provided on an outer surfacethereof and moving in a first direction; a support member, which isdisposed over one side surface of the housing, and which supports thebobbin and the housing such that the housing and the bobbin are movablein second and/or third directions, which are perpendicular to the firstdirection; a second coil, which is disposed over the housing and whichgenerates electromagnetic force to move the support member in the secondand/or third directions; a printed circuit board disposed over thesecond coil, the printed circuit board including at least one firstterminal member; an upper elastic member disposed between the secondcoil and the bobbin; and a lower elastic member disposed under thehousing, the lower elastic member including at least one second terminalmember, wherein the at least one first terminal member is provided atone side of the printed circuit board and is bent, and wherein the atleast one second terminal member is provided at one side of the lowerelastic member and is bent.
 2. The lens moving apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the first terminal member of the printed circuit boardincludes a cutout provided at a location corresponding to the secondterminal member such that a second terminal portion of the secondterminal member is inhibited from interfering with the printed circuitboard.
 3. The lens moving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein thecutout is formed in both sides of the first terminal member, and whereinthe at least one second terminal member is disposed at the cutout. 4.The lens moving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second coilis constituted by a plate having a pattern coil, and is layered on theprinted circuit board and coupled thereto.
 5. The lens moving apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the support member is disposed in parallelwith the first direction and has a shape of a plate or a leaf.
 6. Thelens moving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a longitudinaldirection of the second terminal member is disposed in parallel with thefirst direction.
 7. The lens moving apparatus according to claim 1,comprising a base disposed under the housing to be spaced aparttherefrom by a predetermined distance.
 8. The lens moving apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the lower elastic member is divided into aplurality of sub-lower elastic members, each of which includes thesecond terminal member.
 9. The lens moving apparatus according to claim8, wherein the second terminal members are bent at outer frames of therespective sub-lower elastic members.
 10. The lens moving apparatusaccording to claim 8, wherein each of the second terminal members has abending slit in at least one side of a bent portion thereof.
 11. Thelens moving apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the support membercomprises: a first coupling portion coupled to the housing; a secondcoupling portion coupled to the base; a pair of first elasticdeformation portions, which extend from the first coupling portion andare configured to be symmetric with respect to each other; and a pair ofsecond elastic deformation portions, which extend from the secondcoupling portion and are configured to be symmetric with respect to eachother.
 12. The lens moving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein thesupport member comprises: a pair of connecting portions, which connectthe first elastic deformation portions to the second elastic deformationportions and which are configured to be symmetric with respect to eachother.
 13. The lens moving apparatus according to claim 11, wherein thebase has a support member mounting recess to which the second couplingportion is coupled.
 14. The lens moving apparatus according to claim 11,wherein the second coil is upwardly spaced apart by a predetermineddistance from a holding portion, which is formed at the housing andwhich secures or couples the first coupling portion to the housing. 15.The lens moving apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the supportmember is coupled at one end thereof to the housing and is coupled atthe other end thereof to the base.
 16. The lens moving apparatusaccording to claim 15, wherein the support member is conductivelyconnected to the upper elastic member.
 17. The lens moving apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the second coil is constituted by a platehaving a pattern coil, and is layered on the printed circuit board andcoupled thereto.
 18. The lens moving apparatus according to claim 1,wherein the lower elastic member includes an outer frame coupled to thehousing.
 19. The lens moving apparatus according to claim 7, wherein thesupport member is constituted by an elastic wire, which is coupled atone end thereof to the printed circuit board and is coupled at the otherend thereof to the base.
 20. The lens moving apparatus according toclaim 19, wherein the elastic wire is disposed at a corner of thehousing.
 21. A camera module comprising an image sensor, a lens and alens moving apparatus according to claim
 1. 22. A mobile devicecomprising the camera module according to claim 21.